The transition from hospital care to home can be difficult, especially for patients suffering from chronic illnesses or recovering from recent surgical procedures. Because of the severity of their conditions, patients recently discharged from hospitals are inordinately vulnerable to the myriad complications, infections, and illnesses responsible for countless hospital readmissions each year. With the help of an effective remote patient monitoring program, however, these transitions can be greatly improved, easing patient concerns through the provision of superior outpatient care and round-the-clock access to clinical assistance.

Clinicians well trained in chronic care management, have refined triage skills, and versed in motivational coaching are specifically prepared to handle patient questions and concerns. These clinicians will work directly with individuals or outside caregivers to analyze health data and ensure patients receive a quality of care equal or greater to that obtained through hospitalization and other traditional care facilities.

URAC Call Center Benefits

Experienced health call centers that consistently document proven outcomes not only improve quality of patient safety and care, but also offer a litany of additional benefits. Here are a few examples.

  1. Significant Financial Relief: A study performed in 2011 revealed 3.3 million cases of 30-day hospital readmissions in the United States alone. These readmissions resulted in a staggering $41 billion in hospital costs. Through the collaboration of telemonitoring services and health call centers, it is possible to reduce annual healthcare expenditures considerably, in turn easing patients and providers alike from unnecessary financial burdens.
  2. Building and Promoting Trust: Though patients don’t always have a choice as to whether they seek medical attention, they can decide where they seek medical attention. Like all organizations, hospitals rely on their reputations to continue operating, and offering the services of an effective health call center will greatly improve trust and satisfaction among their patients.
  3. Boosting Hospital Performance: By partnering with proven health call center or having a health call center within the hospital, not only will hospitals improve the quality of life for their patients and aid in accelerating recovery times, but also simultaneously improve staff performance. Hospitals are notoriously crowded facilities and, as such, are often discharging patients at a higher acuity level in order to keep up with the steady influx of new patients. By reducing readmission rates, hospitals will relieve themselves from the strain of housing too many patients, which, in turn, will improve operations.

Prior to the advent of remote patient monitoring, patients returning home from recent hospitalizations were offered very few options regarding ongoing treatment and assistance outside of physical care facilities. Now, with the help of medical devices, integrated ehealth systems, and partnerships with health call centers, patients can receive reliable and trusted outpatient care from the comfort of their homes, greatly reducing their likelihood of hospital readmission.